Surf & Turf

Steaks and Lobsters

As Malaysians, we are blessed with an abundance of choices when it comes to our various palates. One such choice of food that is universally loved by locals is seafood. With many different cooking methods, we’re spoiled for choice when it comes to having seafood in Malaysia.

While majority of seafood restaurants in Malaysia are Chinese-based cuisine, the last few years have seen a steady rise in a more diverse range of seafood restaurants with a twist. Sure, it’s nothing new to have a steakhouse that features seafood dishes. But most of the time, the seafood dishes turn out dry and fishy (excuse the pun) as that isn’t the main element of the restaurant.

One such restaurant that has garnered a reputation for providing good quality cuts of steak with seafood is Steaks and Lobsters. As the name suggests, Steaks and Lobsters places its emphasis on the surf and turf of the menu, with a few extra titbits thrown in.

Opening its doors in August 2015, Steaks and Lobsters have been around for a little over two years with a healthy recurring crowd. Situated in the heart of Desa Sri Hartamas, Steaks and Lobsters is one of the few Western steakhouses in the area, which is predominantly Korean and Japanese-related.

With Christmas on the horizon, Steaks and Lobsters will also be having a special Christmas dinner promotion that features a 1.8-kilogram Wagyu tomahawk steak that will be paired with 2.0 kilograms of Live Blue lobsters on request. If this isn’t the epitome of the term ‘surf-and-turf’, I don’t know what is.

The emphasis Steaks and Lobsters place on its menu is having fresh and natural ingredients, something that resonates with its owner, Nicholas Thang, who came up with the entire menu along with his partners.

As with plenty of other Westernised restaurants in Malaysia, Steaks and Lobsters features an extensive menu with plenty of choices for everyone. Some may see it as being a little too overwhelming with too many to choose from but that is the whole point of Steaks and Lobsters. It makes you want to be creative and try things that you normally wouldn’t.

Some starters that we sampled includes Air-flown Oysters from Canada that were not only huge but jam-packed with flavour. While an acquired taste, the oysters were sweet with a little brininess; just a squeeze of lemon juice and you are good to go without any tabasco sauce needed. Escargots were also on the menu with its own homemade garlic sauce. A popular starter in France, these snails were from Indonesia and instead of using the regular land snails, we were served sea snails.

If you’re a pasta connoisseur, the Truffle Mushroom Pasta is a worthwhile choice, featuring premium truffle paste to go along with the French-based truffle oil. What’s surprising was its subtleness as the truffle didn’t overpower the dish, allowing you to taste individual flavours with each bite. The dish also features a variety of mushrooms, mainly Portobello, button and shimeji mushrooms. All these ingredients blended well together with the pasta, which was cooked well, giving it a springy and chewy texture.

Moving on to the Grain-fed Ribeye Steak, this was one of Steaks and Lobsters signature dishes and half of its namesake. It comes with four refillable sides, because why not, right? Cooked to a perfect medium-rare, the steak was then finished off in a sous-vide bath, which helps to keep all the flavours intact. As a carnivore, I have no complains when it comes to the steak. Great flavour without being overly chewy or tough, it was done exceptionally well.

The other half of its namesake came soon after and in double volumes. First was the Signature Flaming Lobster, which was torched with the homemade ebiko aioli. This gave the lobster a slight char but still maintaining its sweetness. Cooked to perfection, the meat was already falling off the shell with little to no effort put in.

Next up was Steaks and Lobsters take on the popular local dish, chili crab, but with lobster. The Chili Lobster was even served with mantao! Sadly, the chili gravy was not as creamy or thick as I imagined. It was slightly watery but still held plenty of flavour with each dip with the mantao. An added benefit is the amount of spice in the gravy, which is something spice lovers will get a kick out of. What’s life without some spice, right?

To top off the night was dessert in the shape of its Signature Sizzling Brownie & Ice Cream. Half-baked and deep fried, the brownie comes with a scoop of vanilla ice cream smothered in chocolate sauce and walnuts. A sinful, yet sweet and delectable way to end a meal.

If you’re looking for a restaurant to celebrate a birthday or any special occasion and you don’t mind getting your hands dirty, Steaks and Lobsters are a viable choice with its widespread offerings.

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